Guide to the Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge Construction Photograph Kristin Davidson 2011 Archives Center, National Museum of American History P.O. Box 37012 Suite 1100, MRC 601 Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 archivescenter@si.edu http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives
Table of Contents Collection Overview... 1 Administrative Information... 1 Arrangement... 2 Scope and Contents... 2 Biographical / Historical... 2 Names and Subjects... 2 Container Listing... 4 Series : Photograph, 1883-1884... 4
Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge Construction Photograph Collection Overview Repository: Title: Identifier: Archives Center, National Museum of American History Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge Construction Photograph Date: 1883-1884 Extent: Creator: Language: 0.15 Cubic Feet ((1 box)) Rila, Carter Ainsworth Bridge Company English Summary: The collection consists of one bound photograph album, 1883-1884, documenting the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge over the Snake River. The images depict machinery, piers, boats, and construction workers. Administrative Information Acquisition Information Collection donated by Carter Rila, 1976. Provenance Transferred to the Archives Center in 2007 from the Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, now called the Division of Work and Industry. Processing Information Processed by Kristin Davidson (intern), April, 2011; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist. Preferred Citation Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge Construction Photograph, 1883-1884, Archives Center, National Museum of American History Restrictions The collection is open for research use. Conditions Governing Use Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Page 1 of 4
Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge Construction Photograph Biographical / Historical Built from 1883-1884 by the Northern Pacific Railroad, the Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge crosses the Snake River just above the Columbia River, between Ainsworth, Washington and Burbank (also known as South Ainsworth), in Walla Walla County, Washington. The bridge was made of iron and consisted of a 146-foot Pratt through-truss span, a 346-foot swinging drawspan, four 248-foot Pratt through-truss spans, and a 65-foot deck girder span. The first train crossed the Snake River in 1884 on the Northern Pacific Railroad's bridge at Ainsworth, a railroad construction town located at the junction of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The completion of the bridge linked the Northern Pacific's transcontinental line directly to the Oregon Railway & Navigation track down the Columbia River to Portland, and ultimately to Puget Sound. The Northern Pacific reported the total cost of the bridge to be $1,135,743. Reference Peter J. Lewty, To the Columbia Gateway (Pullman: Washington State University Press, 1987), 48-49, 113-16. Scope and Contents The collection consists of one bound album of photographs, documenting the construction of the Snake River Bridge from November, 1883 to December, 1883. The images depict machinery, piers, boats, and construction workers. Arrangement The collection consists of one series. Series 1, Photograph Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. The front cover of the album is not attached. Names and Subject Terms This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Smithsonian Institution under the following terms: Cultures: Bridges -- Design and construction Bridges -- Washington Railroad bridges Page 2 of 4
Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge Construction Photograph Types of Materials: Photograph albums -- 19th century Photographs -- 19th century Geographic Names: Snake River Washington (State) Page 3 of 4
Photograph Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge Construction Photograph Container Listing Photograph, 1883-1884 Box 1 Return to Table of Contents Page 4 of 4